Father of the House (New Zealand)

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Father or Mother of the House is an unofficial title applied to the longest-serving member of Parliament (MP) sitting in the New Zealand House of Representatives. In New Zealand, no duties or special distinctions are associated with the position. The current Father of the House is Gerry Brownlee, List MP and formerly member for Ilam. He has served continuously in the House of Representatives since 12 October 1996. The current Mother of the House, as the longest continuously serving female MP, is Judith Collins. She was first elected in 2002. [1]

Contents

The position is usually determined by continuous service, not aggregate time in parliament or the earliest year of entry. For example, Damien O'Connor has served as long as Brownlee, and entered parliament a term earlier (in 1993), but since he lost his seat in 2008 he is not considered a joint Father of the House. When more than one MP have served equally long periods, the title is usually assigned to whoever was sworn in first, a process which happens alphabetically by surname.

In New Zealand's first general election of 1853, the Bay of Islands electorate was the first to declare the election of a successful candidate, Hugh Carleton, who was returned unopposed. In the subsequent General Assembly of 1854, Carleton liked to be known as the Father of the House. [2]

In March 2005 then Prime Minister Helen Clark became the first to be dubbed Mother of the House. [3]

List of Fathers and Mothers of the House

Key

  Independent   Liberal   Reform   United
  Labour   National   Progressive   United Future
NameImageFirst electedBecame Father/MotherLeft ParliamentTime in ParliamentTime as Father/MotherNotesReferences
Hugh Carleton Hugh Francis Carleton, ca 1870s.jpg 14 July 1853 30 December 1870 [nb 1] 17 years, 5 months and 16 daysDefeated in 1871 election [2] [4]
Alfred Brandon Alfred de Bathe Brandon, 1860s.jpg 29 July 1858 30 December 18708 November 1881 [nb 2] 23 years, 3 months and 10 days10 years, 10 months, 10 daysRetired in 1881 [5]
Sir Maurice O'Rorke George Maurice O'Rorke.jpg 18 January 1861 8 November 18813 October 1890 [nb 3] 29 years, 8 months and 15 days8 years, 10 months, 26 daysDefeated in 1890 election, re-elected in 1893 [6]
Harry Atkinson Sir Harry Albert Atkinson, ca 1885.jpg 3 October 1872 [nb 4] 3 October 189022 January 189118 years, 3 months and 19 days3 months, 20 daysPremier 1876–1877, 1883–1884, 1884, 1887–1891; resigned in 1891 [nb 5] [7]
Ebenezer Hamlin Ebenezer Hamlin, 1882.jpg 18 January 1876 22 January 18918 November 1893 [nb 6] 17 years, 9 months and 21 days2 years, 9 months, 18 daysRetired in 1893 [8]
Richard Seddon Richard Seddon, 1903.jpg 5 September 1879 8 November 189310 June 190626 years, 9 months and 5 days12 years, 7 months, 3 daysPrime Minister 1893–1906; died in office [9]
Sir William Steward William Jukes Steward.jpg 9 December 1881 [nb 7] 10 June 190620 November 1911 [nb 8] 29 years, 11 months and 11 days5 years, 5 months, 11 daysRetired in 1911 [10] [11] [12]
Sir Arthur Guinness Arthur Robert Guinness, 1880s.jpg 22 July 1884 20 November 191110 June 191328 years, 10 months and 19 days1 year, 6 months, 21 daysDied in office [11] [13]
Sir James Carroll JamesCarroll1914.jpg 7 September 1887 10 June 191327 November 1919 [nb 9] 32 years, 2 months and 20 days6 years, 5 months, 18 daysDefeated in 1919 election [14]
Sir James Allen James Allen portrait.jpg 4 May 1892 [nb 10] 27 November 191922 March 192037 years, 10 months and 18 days3 months, 25 daysResigned in 1920 [15]
William Massey William Ferguson Massey 1919.jpg 9 April 1894 22 March 192010 May 192531 years, 1 month and 1 day5 years, 1 month, 20 daysPrime Minister 1912–1925; died in office [16]
Sir Thomas Wilford Thomas Wilford, 1928.jpg 4 December 1896 10 May 192518 November 192932 years, 11 months and 14 days4 years, 6 months, 8 daysResigned in 1929 [nb 11] [17] [18]
Sir Āpirana Ngata ApiranaNgata05.jpg 20 December 1905 18 November 192930 August 1943 [nb 12] 37 years, 8 months and 10 days13 years, 9 months, 12 daysDefeated in 1943 election [19]
Peter Fraser Peter Fraser.jpg 3 October 1918 30 August 194312 December 195032 years, 2 months and 9 days7 years, 3 months, 13 daysPrime Minister 1940–1949; died in office [20]
Bill Parry Bill Parry.jpg 17 December 1919 12 December 195027 July 1951 [nb 13] 31 years, 7 months and 10 days7 months, 16 daysRetired in 1951 [21]
Robert McKeen Robert McKeen, 1930s.jpg 7 December 1922 27 July 19515 October 1954 [nb 14] 31 years, 9 months and 28 days3 years, 2 months, 8 daysRetired in 1954 [22]
Rex Mason Rex Mason.jpg 15 April 1926 5 October 195425 October 1966 [nb 15] 40 years, 6 months and 10 days12 years, 20 daysRetired in 1966 [23]
Sir Walter Nash Walter Nash (ca 1940s).jpg 18 December 1929 25 October 19664 June 196838 years, 7 months and 17 days1 year, 7 months, 10 daysPrime Minister 1957–1960; died in office [24]
Robert Macfarlane Robert Macfarlane (crop).jpg 3 June 1939 4 June 196824 October 1969 [nb 16] 30 years, 4 months and 21 days1 year, 4 months, 20 daysRetired in 1969
Sir Keith Holyoake Keith Holyoake, 1972.jpg 25 September 1943 [nb 17] 24 October 196910 March 197733 years, 5 months and 13 days7 years, 4 months, 14 daysPrime Minister 1957, 1960–1972; resigned in 1977 [nb 18] [25]
Warren Freer Warren Freer, 1972 (crop).jpg 24 September 1947 10 March 197729 October 1981 [nb 19] 34 years, 1 month and 5 days4 years, 7 months, 19 daysRetired in 1981 [26]
Mick Connelly Mick Connelly MP.jpg 27 October 1956 29 October 198114 June 1984 [nb 20] 27 years, 7 months and 18 days2 years, 7 months, 16 daysRetired in 1984
Sir Robert Muldoon Muldoon 1978.jpg 26 November 1960 14 June 198417 December 199131 years and 21 days7 years, 6 months, 3 daysPrime Minister 1975–1984; resigned in 1991 [27]
Jonathan Hunt Jonathan Hunt.jpg 26 November 1966 17 December 199130 March 200538 years, 4 months and 4 days13 years, 4 months, 13 daysResigned in 2005 [nb 21] [28]
Helen Clark Helen Clark UNDP 2010.jpg 28 November 1981 30 March 200518 April 200927 years, 4 months and 21 days4 years, 19 daysPrime Minister 1999–2008; resigned in 2009
Deemed to hold the post ahead of Michael Cullen due to the alphabetical order in which they were sworn in.
[3] [29]
Michael Cullen Michael Cullen, 2008.jpg 28 November 1981 18 April 200929 April 200927 years, 5 months and 1 day12 daysResigned in 2009 [30]
Jim Anderton Jim Anderton, 2010 (cropped).jpg 14 July 1984 29 April 200926 November 201127 years, 4 months and 12 days2 years, 6 months, 3 daysRetired in 2011
Deemed to hold the post ahead of Peter Dunne due to the alphabetical order in which they were sworn in.
[31]
Peter Dunne Peter Dunne outside Parliament.jpg 14 July 1984 26 November 201123 September 201733 years, 2 months and 9 days5 years, 9 months, 28 daysRetired at the 2017 election. [32] [33] [34]
Bill English Bill English 09-16 (1).jpg 27 October 1990 23 September 201713 March 201827 years, 4 months and 14 days5 months, 18 daysPrime Minister 2016–2017; resigned in 2018
Deemed to be the Father ahead of Nick Smith due to the alphabetical order in which they were sworn in.
Nick Smith Nick Smith (cropped).jpg 27 October 1990 13 March 201810 June 2021 [35] 30 years, 7 months and 14 days3 years, 2 months, 28 daysResigned in 2021
Trevor Mallard Rt Hon Trevor Mallard.jpg 6 November 1993 [nb 22] 10 June 202120 October 202228 years, 11 months and 14 days1 year, 4 months and 11 daysResigned in 2022 [36] [37]
Nanaia Mahuta [nb 23] Hon Nanaia Mahuta.jpg 12 October 1996 21 October 202214 October 202326 years, 11 months and 23 days11 months and 24 daysDefeated in the 2023 election [1]
Gerry Brownlee [nb 23] Gerry Brownlee 2017.jpg 12 October 1996 present27 years, 8 months and 16 days1 year, 8 months and 16 days
Judith Collins [nb 24] COLLINS, Judith - Papakura (cropped).png 27 July 2002 14 October 202321 years, 11 months and 10 days8 months and 23 days [1]

Table footnotes: [38]

  1. date of dissolution of the 4th Parliament
  2. date of dissolution of the 7th Parliament
  3. date of dissolution of the 10th Parliament
  4. Atkinson had previously been an MP (1861–66 and 1867–69)
  5. Atkinson resigned upon being appointed to the Legislative Council
  6. date of dissolution of the 11th Parliament
  7. Steward had previously been an MP (1871–75)
  8. date of dissolution of the 17th Parliament
  9. date of dissolution of the 19th Parliament
  10. Allen had previously been an MP (1887–90)
  11. Wilford resigned to take up the post of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
  12. date of dissolution of the 26th Parliament
  13. date of dissolution of the 29th Parliament
  14. date of dissolution of the 30th Parliament
  15. date of dissolution of the 34th Parliament
  16. date of dissolution of the 39th Parliament
  17. Holyoake had previously been an MP (1932–38)
  18. Holyoake resigned to take up the post of Governor-General
  19. date of dissolution of the 39th Parliament
  20. date of dissolution of the 40th Parliament
  21. Hunt resigned to take up the post of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
  22. Mallard had previously been an MP (1984–90)
  23. 1 2 Brownlee and Mahuta were considered Father and Mother concurrently between 21 October 2021 and 14 October 2023.
  24. Brownlee and Collins are considered Father and Mother concurrently since 14 October 2023.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Members of Parliament – Longest, shortest, oldest, youngest". New Zealand Parliamentary Service. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 McLintock, A. H., ed. (23 April 2009) [First published in 1966]. "Carleton, Hugh Francis". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga . Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  3. 1 2 Hansard (3 March 2005) vol. 623, Week 81, col. 2005. Available at: https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/47HansD_20050303/volume-623-week-81-thursday-3-march-2005 (Retrieved 24 February 2019).
  4. Wilson 1985, p. 188.
  5. Wilson 1985, pp. 185, 188.
  6. Wilson 1985, pp. 213, 225.
  7. "Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  8. Wilson 1985, pp. 186, 202.
  9. Wilson 1985, pp. 57, 202, 233.
  10. "The Father of the House". The Marlborough Express . Vol. XXXIX, no. 155. 5 July 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  11. 1 2 "The Late Sir Arthur Guinness". Colonist. Vol. LV, no. 13752. 18 June 1913. p. 1. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  12. Wilson 1985, pp. 233, 236.
  13. Wilson 1985, pp. 201, 236.
  14. Wilson 1985, pp. 188, 201.
  15. Wilson 1985, pp. 179, 188.
  16. Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 179, 219.
  17. "Māori MPs – Parliament's people". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  18. Wilson 1985, pp. 219, 245.
  19. Wilson 1985, pp. 223, 245.
  20. Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 223.
  21. Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 225.
  22. Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 225.
  23. Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 218.
  24. Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 218, 223.
  25. Wilson 1985, pp. 47, 58, 206, 223.
  26. Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 206.
  27. Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 222.
  28. Wilson 1985, p. 206.
  29. Wilson 1985, p. 189.
  30. Wilson 1985, p. 191.
  31. Wilson 1985, p. 180.
  32. Wilson 1985, p. 194.
  33. "UnitedFuture thanks Peter Dunne for his service and looks to the future". United Future. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  34. "Peter Dunne resigns from politics only weeks out from the election". 22 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  35. Sowman-Lund, Stewart (1 June 2021). "Live updates, June 1: Collins responds to criticism of 'head butt' tweet; just 13 active Covid cases in NZ". The Spinoff. Retrieved 1 June 2021. Smith will quit politics on June 10 after announcing his resignation yesterday
  36. Neilson, Michael (20 October 2022). "Former Speaker and Labour MP Trevor Mallard delivers final speech in the House". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  37. "Resignation of member". Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand. Vol. 22, no. 23. 14 October 2022. p. 608. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  38. Wilson 1985, pp. 137–139.

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References